Hiring growth slows
Hiring slowed in April. Employers added 138,000 people to their payrolls, the slowest pace of job growth in six months.

And finally ...
EASTMAN KODAK said it was considering the sale of its health-imaging business after reporting $298 million in red ink for the first quarter - its sixth straight quarterly loss.

Get connected
Time to break out those business cards. More than 400 businesses will display their products and services Tuesday during the Amarillo Chamber of Commerce's BusinessConnection 2006 trade show at the Amarillo Civic Center.

Planning for a Pandemic
More than half of U.S. companies think there will be a global flu epidemic in the next two years.

Atmos posts results
Atmos Energy announced fiscal second quarter net income of $88.8 million, or $1.10 a share, on operating revenue of $2.03 billion. The results were down fractionally from the comparable period a year ago, when Atmos earned $88.5 million, or $1.11 a share, on $1.69 billion in revenue. The results beat Wall Street's expectations by a penny; shares rose 16 cents, to $27.41.

Business brewing
As construction crews break ground for a new Roaster's Coffee & Tea location in Southwest Amarillo, craftsmen in Florence, Italy, are finishing a state-of-the-art machine that will brew the shop's espresso drinks.

And finally ...
CONSUMER CONFIDENCE sank to a seven-month low as high gas prices made Americans anxious about the economy. The RBC CASH Index showed confidence at 67.1 in early May, down from 89.4 in April.

Crude closes below $70
Oil prices sank more than $2 a barrel for the second day Thursday, falling below $70 as traders focused on government data that showed gasoline supplies grew last week, reversing two months of declines.

Dow soars to six-year high
Wall Street barreled higher Friday, sending the Dow Jones industrials up 138 points to a six-year high after a report of modest job growth bolstered hopes that the Federal Reserve will end its interest rates hikes.

Oil prices rebound above $70 a barrel
Crude oil futures crept back above $70 a barrel after sinking more than $4 a barrel during the previous two sessions because U.S. government data showed an increase in gasoline supplies.

Wages, spending rise
The Labor Department said productivity - the amount an employee produces per hour - grew at an annual rate of 3.2 percent in the January-to-March quarter. Productivity had declined in the final quarter of 2005.

Moe's films spot
Moe's Southwest Grill is putting its own twist on Cinco De Mayo - for a good cause. On Friday, film crews were in Amarillo shooting a new commercial touting "Cinco De Moe's."

Sutton doesn't challenge drunken-driving charge
STILLWATER, OKLA. - Oklahoma State basketball coach Eddie Sutton pleaded no contest Friday to drunken-driving charges stemming from an accident in which his SUV swerved, collided with another vehicle and then hit a tree.

Church part of history
When Juliette Barnum and her husband, Steve, moved to Borger and got involved in the Veterans of Foreign Wars Adobe Walls Post 1789, she noticed there were no black veterans involved.

Haynes: Men's retreat changes things up
About 35 men ringed a meeting room at Hidden Falls Ranch church camp, the wind howling through a dark Palo Duro Canyon. A church leader in the middle of the room focused our attention on body and blood.

Heloise: Bird senses melancholy
DEAR HELOISE: I had an elderly friend who had a red-lored parrot. I used to help her with housework and took care of the parrot when she happened to be away.

Heloise: Hints help put together furniture
DEAR READERS: When you buy furniture that you need to put together, it can seem daunting to assemble all the parts. Following the diagrams and instructions can sometimes be a real challenge. Here are some hints to make the task a little easier:

Dear Abby: Skimpy outfit makes restaurant patron gag
DEAR ABBY: I need your input. Young women today are wearing low-rise pants, short tops and thong underwear. While my wife and I were dining at a restaurant the other night, a woman was sitting with her back to us. She kept leaning forward over the table to talk to her date, and when she did, her top went farther up and her pants crept down, exposing the top 3 inches of her posterior - with all that implies.

Dear Abby: Her man's web of stories gets tangled in the truth
DEAR ABBY: After being single for several years, I met the man of my dreams. "Chet" was everything I was searching for. We have become very close, and I'd trust him with my life. For nearly a year our relationship has been bliss. Chet seems to be completely devoted to me.

Dr. Peter Gott: Good health extends into older years
DEAR DR. GOTT: I guess I'm an exception, but at 82 I am practically the same height as I was at 21. I milked cows as a kid and later supervised a dairy herd. I love milk, and even now I'll go through a gallon in about three days. Even so, I've always eaten food, which I consider healthy.

Sports Scene: Canadian's Culver inks with Trinity University
Canadian's Carlee Culver will continue her basketball career at San Antonio's Trinity University this fall. Culver, a two-time all state player, led the Lady Cats to the District 7-2A title this season and was named player of the year one season after leading her team to the state championship game.

Sandies back Black with 16-hit attack
Amarillo High pitcher Victor Black struck out nine and scattered eight hits during his complete-game winning performance against El Paso Montwood on Friday in a Class 5A bidistrict baseball opener of a best-of-three series.

Lady Harvesters are on a roll
Pampa already accomplished one goal by collecting a district championship trophy. Today the Lady Harvesters start hunting for more gold accessories as they begin the playoffs against El Paso Del Valle.

A stacked deck
Owning nicknames of De La, Vicky Baby, Big Smooth and Rocket Man, one would think this quartet of Amarillo High teenagers might be thinking of forming a band.

Texas MLB: Mussina, A-Rod power Yankees past Rangers
ARLINGTON - Mike Mussina allowed only three hits pitching into the eighth inning, Alex Rodriguez drove in three runs, and the New York Yankees held on for an 8-7 victory at Texas on Friday night that ended the Rangers' six-game winning streak.

Accident claims prison minister
Bill Brown, a local business owner and volunteer in the Kairos prison ministry, died in a vehicle accident at South Grand Street and Tower Drive on Thursday. He was 62.

School year may be pushed even later
AUSTIN - Summer vacation will end about a week later for Texas public school students if a proposal tentatively approved this week survives the remainder of the legislative process.

Region has stakes in budget bill
The U.S. Senate on Thursday passed a controversial $109 billion emergency appropriations bill, which includes language that makes Texas Panhandle residents who suffered losses in March's devastating grass fires eligible to receive $611 million in federal wildfire recovery assistance.

Schools working to limit sugary drinks
High school students soon will have a choice of water, unsweetened juice or diet soda when they want to quench their thirst at school under new voluntary guidelines for the beverage industry.

City retailer to host weekend pet adoption event
If you've got a hankering for a playful puppy or cuddly kitty to make your family complete, PetSmart, 2800 Soncy Road, will conduct its spring adoption weekend from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. today and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Do you know this person?
The Amarillo Police Department released this photo of a May 1 robber at the Bank of America, 3601 S. Washington. Police are asking for help identifying the suspect. Any tips can be submitted by calling Crime Stoppers at 374-4400.

Festival draws students to city
The Greater Southwest Music Festival competition continues today and Saturday at the Amarillo Civic Center, Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts and Amarillo College.

APD to launch warrant sweep
Whether they've been forgotten or people have refused to pay them, they're jamming the municipal court logs.

Class Act: Amarillo High Technology Systems Class, May 2006
Earlier this semester, students in Amarillo High School's Technology Systems class created PowerPoint slide shows based upon teacher-suggested topics and on nursery rhymes. It was part of their required work in using appropriate design processes and techniques to develop or improve products or services in communication and technology.

City, college receive tax-freeze petitions
Whether to freeze taxes for senior citizens and people with disabilities will be up to Amarillo and college district voters if two petitions turned in Friday prove valid.

Paralyzed player looking to ministry
ODESSA - Sitting in the sunny living room of his east Odessa home, Joe Beene is a striking contradiction. His glowing tan skin and brilliant white smile are a picture of youthful health. His words are positive and often spoken in jest.

Dispute mars special session
AUSTIN - Tempers are flaring. Negotiations are crumbling. Could it be the beginning of the end for the fourth special legislative session on Texas school funding?

National Day of Prayer
Rick Phillips, left, with Faith City Mission, says a prayer on stage Thursday at John S. Stiff Park. About 75 people attended the National Day of Prayer held near the gazebo on 48th Avenue. There was the posting of colors and Pledge of Allegiance. Mayor Debra McCartt welcomed everyone to the gathering and also read Gov. Rick Perry's proclamation. More than 20 religious leaders prayed for families, centers of influence such as schools and churches, and for military, police and national leaders.

Thinking Out Loud
The People's Republic of China is taking its obsession with Taiwan to bizarre levels. The PRC, which claims Taiwan as a "renegade province," recently bullied Lebanon into refusing Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian's plane permission to land.

Guest Column: The song remains the same
KANSAS CITY, MO. - So the nation continues to obsess about a Spanish language national anthem. And a 17-year-old Texas youth lies in a hospital, miraculously hanging onto life. His plight has been buried by never-ending discussions about a song no one is pushing to replace the true national anthem.

Editorial: Don't be cruel? An unusual take
Perhaps it was the heart-tugging - if not stomach-churning - tale of Zacarias Moussaoui's troubled childhood that led a jury this week to sentence the 9/11 conspirator to life in prison without parole rather than the punishment he so richly deserved - the death penalty.